To ensure the province’s supply of clean meat, the provincial government upgraded its meat inspection services.

Nineteen personnel from the Capitol, component cities and towns received their certificate of completion of their 20-day 12th Meat Inspection Training Course last July 19. The training was held from June 30 to July 18 at the Golden Valley Hotel.

The participants of the training included five Capitol employees. The rest came from the local government units (LGUs) of Talisay City, Compostela, Tudela, San Francisco, Dalaguete, Alegria, Naga, Mandaue City (two participants), Bogo City, Borbon, Danao City, and Carcar City (two participants).

This was the first meat inspection training sponsored by the Cebu Provincial Government in several years. The last training attended by some Cebu meat inspectors was conducted in 2010. The 2010 training was sponsored by the provincial government of Bohol.

Governor Hilario P. Davide supported the training notwithstanding its cost because food security and health is part of his administration’s six-star development agenda.

“We supported this training because we believe that food safety is a public health concern and we are committed to support what is best for the Cebuano people,” said the governor.

Davide was not around during the graduation ceremony of the participants. His message was read by Provincial Administrator Atty. Mark Tolentino.

Vincoy said the purpose of the training is “to strengthen the meat inspection and food safety as well as to professionalize the performance of meat inspectors in the component LGUs.”

Vincoy was thankful that the new administration considered the importance of the training. She said in the past, the program was shelved off their annual budget because of its cost.

Prior to the training, only three percent of the more than 40 meat inspectors in the province have undergone proper training conducted by the National Meat Inspection Service of the Department of Agriculture.

Dr. Rafael San Diego, Carcar City veterinarian, said the training was very important for the city since they only have two accredited meat inspectors in the town.

Meat inspectors report from late in the evening until the early hours of the morning.

Rovilito Piodos of Borbon said he was excited to implement his knowledge in his town. He advised the public to avoid buying illegally slaughtered meat or hot meat like those butchered outside the slaughter house.

He also gave tips on how to detect double-dead meat saying, “Lagom ang (iyang) karne (The meat is greenish-gray).”

ABOUT

Cebu is a province of the Philippines located in the Central Visayas (Region VII) region, and consisting of a main island and 167 surrounding islands and islets.

Cebu is one of the most developed provinces in the Philippines, with Cebu City as the main center of commerce, trade, education and industry in the Visayas. In a decade it has transformed into a global hub for shipping, furniture-making, tourism, business processing services, and heavy industry.